Three times. Three times I’ve been to Cebu. You know how many of those trips were spent at the beach? One, and for just a couple of hours. This is why I wanted to go back, to rectify this mistake, especially since Cebu’s beaches are pretty famous. For a person who enjoys swishing her toes in white sand and cool salt water, this little time spent along a shore—any shore—is unacceptable, so this time around, I was dead-set on beaching the shit out of this trip.

(OK, no more procrastinating. Here’s the last leg of my Sagada trip. Sorry it took so long.)

So I woke up at about 3:30AM, got dressed, got my shit together, and headed down the lobby to check out and wait for our tour driver. Why so early? We were headed to Kiltepan Peak to see the famed “sea of clouds” hopefully roll into view. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Sagada, so getting there early wasn’t just to catch the sunrise but to get a patch of ground not occupied by another hopeful tourist.

I woke up about 5:30 that morning oddly enough with the feeling of relief that I get to go home today. I say ‘odd’ because I normally feel wistful when my vacations come to an end. Then again, more than a couple of things about this outing did not exactly work out for me, so that’s probably why I was looking forward to leaving.

I woke up at 5AM to get myself ready for the day’s adventure (we weren’t due to be picked up until 7, but I hate feeling rushed). Good thing my headache from yesterday had finally eased; it got so bad, I was seriously considering the night before to skip today’s tour. Fingers crossed, today would be better than the less-than-stellar activities of yesterday.

(So it seems I’ve fallen into my old habit of not updating my blog again. I know at this point you won’t be buying whatever excuse I make so I’m just going to get right to it.)

Caramoan has never really been in my list of must-visit places, to be perfectly honest. To me, Caramoan is what fries are are to an ice cream place: you don’t really go there for it because the place is known for better options, but it’s nice to know you have it around in case you ever want it. But this French fry gained popularity when Survivor filmed a season there, and I have to admit, it’s what piqued my interest in the first place. I’m a sucker for nice beaches, so this seemed like a good place for my last hurrah for the summer.

When I planned my trip to Bohol, I knew overspending would be a possibility since I would be going solo. Accommodations usually take up a big chunk of my estimated budget, so I had to be careful of the hotels I pick. I wanted one that was affordable, but would have the basics I need for a comfortable stay, and that’s how I stumbled upon Alona KatChaJo Inn.

On my second day, I got up at 5 to get ready for my dolphin watching/island hopping tour. I had to skip breakfast since my pick-up arrives about the same time they serve it. I just stuck a few crackers into my bag to have something to eat in case I get hungry during the tour. At precisely 6 AM, a tricycle arrived to take me to Alona Beach, the jump-off point for the tour.

Growing up, I was bombarded in school by books showing off photos of tiny bug-eyed primates clinging to branches with their tiny little hands, and hills that supposedly imitate Hershey’s Kisses in the summer. It piqued my interest enough to harbor a secret desire to see these things myself, and it didn’t help that I was constantly being reminded by Instagram that people were enjoying these attractions and I wasn’t. Having to constantly live on a budget restricts me from covering as much ground as possible, travel-wise, so when another Cebu Pacific Seat Sale came around, I immediately hit “Search” on Manila-Tagbilaran flights and booked a four-day trip.